Internal wave generation using level-set method in three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations

Abstract

We develop a computational framework for solving free surface flows associated with coastal/ocean waves in complex geometries. The new computational framework is based on the recently developed turbulent free surface model of Kang and Sotiropoulos (2012), which solves the three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations in conjunction with the level set method using curvilinear immersed boundary (CURVIB) method. In this work, we propose two novel methods: 1) an internal wave generation method that can account for instantaneous global mass conservation; and 2) a mean level set correction method that ensures mass conservation over a long-period of simulation time. The accuracy of the model for generating various types of waves is verified by comparing the results with analytic solutions, and the predictive capabilities of the model aare demonstrated by applying it to simulate wave problems involving interactions between waves and complex geometries.